This application seeks continuation of support for eight positions in our training grant, 'Early Stage Training in the Neurosciences.'This training grant serves as the centerpiece in an integrated plan of support for precandidate students in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program at The University of Michigan. Once students complete pre-candidate training, they perform full-time doctoral research in the laboratory of one of 93 different Training Faculty. Approximately half these faculty hold appointments in basic science departments, and the other half hold appointments in clinical departments. In both the classroom and laboratory, our students are exposed to research programs that cover a broad range of topics, including developmental, systems and molecular neuroscience. In addition, our students are exposed to disease-based and translational neuroscience research. The first two years of this program are designed to ensure that all students graduate as broadly trained neuroscientists. In the first year, students take an intensive lab course, a year-long, interdisciplinary course in the Principles of Neuroscience, human neuroanatomy, a course in research responsibilities and ethics and they perform two laboratory rotations. During the second year, students take elective courses, participate in an intensive neuroscience seminar course, complete their lab rotations and begin the initial work on the doctoral thesis. The University of Michigan is proud of its history of recruiting and training underrepresented minority students. We describe our accomplishments and a detailed plan for recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities. Similarly, we present detailed plans for the evaluation of our program and for the instruction in the responsible conduct of research. During the first four years of support provided by this training grant, one-half of the 55 students admitted to our program received support from this training grant. This training grant is key to our recruiting and educational success